starr



(No Model.) 2 Shets-Sheet 1. E. T. STARR. INHALER.

10.417.795 vPanmred Deo. 24 1889.

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WITN ESSES (No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

E T. STARR.'

v A v INHALER.`

WlTN ESSES' Patented Dec. 24,1889. A

UNITED STATESA PATENT. GFFICE.

ELI T. STARR, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR l() THE S. S. `WHITE DENTAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

INHALER.

SPECIEICAELION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,795, datedl December 24, 1889;- l Application filed February 13, 1888. Serial No; 263,820. (No model.) Y

To all whom if may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELI T. STARR, a citizen of theUnited States, resi-dingat Philadelphia,

in the cunty of Ihilmlelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Inhalers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to automatic inhalers for the administration more particularly of nitrous-oxide gas or other anaestheties in producing' anaesthesia, and has for its object to provide an improved inhaler.

v My invention, to be hereinafter specifically designated by the `claim, eo'nsi'stsof a certain novel combination of devices sufficiently described in detail below in the preferred form thereof to enable my invention to be practiced.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section through my improved inhaler. Fig. 2v is a similar section through amodiication thereof with` the hood lo r facepiece omitted.' Fig. 3 isa view of the periphery of the main or valve section thereof; and Fig. 4 is a cross-section therethrough on the line w w of Fig. 3, showing more particularly the gas inlet or port openings in the end of the sliding valve-section.

In Figs. 5, (3, and 7 is also shown'a modification'of my improved inhaler, to be alluded to more particularly farther on.

Having reference to my improved inhaler shown in Figs. l to 4, A is the easing-section for conn ect-ion with the gas-bag or anzestheticcontaining vessel .by the usual flexible rubber tubing, (not necessary to be showm) and terminating in an enlargement or spheroidal end A,iitted with a threaded opening a to receive the rear male-threaded end I) of the main or valve section ll of the easing, the front end ol' which is also male-threaded, as

5o hood as having an inllation-riin c, of Wellat b', to fornithe connection of the hood or` known construction, and which with its infiating-pipe and stop-'cock F may be desir able in' some instances.

The particular form of the face-piece of course constitutes no part of lmy improvements. s v

Mounted Within the main section B of the casing, for exam ple, is the valve arrangement, shown as consisting of a sliding tube G, nor- `mally`thrust forward by a springII. This 6o tube G is perforated, preferably, with a se ries of holes, as at g, and the main easingsection B is likewise perforatedv correspondingly, as at Z1", and when in its normal position said perforations are coincident or in line and afford free passage for the external air to the lungs as the patient breathes or inhales when the inhaler is first applied-to the face, the inhalation drawing the 'air through said openings, the v.valve-disk d of 7o the valveD openinginwardly in a Well-known Way. .y In exhaling, he pressure of the expired breath closes the rvalve D and the expired breath passes out 'atthe exhalation-opening 75 e of the valve E, the disk e of that valve falling away or opening for the purpose and under the pressure. Vt-hen inhaling external air through thc air-inlet openings ,r/ b the suction of course closes the valve-disk e' of 8o the valve E. t

The purpose and function of the air-inlet opening or openings are to aceustom the patient, it' timid, to the inhaler and enable the natural air to be inhaled. W'hen the anzes- 85' thetic is to be administered, the tube G or .valve-operating` device is moved endwise by the lingers, which grasp the inhaler, and is drawn backward by means of the handle or knobs i I, one or more, so as to carry the in- 9o let-openings q b out of coincidence and close said openings, and against, of course, the press'- ure of the closing-spring Il. This act also. protrudes the rear end r2 of the tube G into the cavity of the sphere or hollow casing portion A and exposes the gas-inlet openings g" in the rear end of said tube, whereby the air-inlet opening. or openings is or are closed and the gas-inlet openings opened, an inhan lation then drawing the gas orl anzesthetic roo into the lungs to produce anaesthesia. As soon as the desired eiect is produced in the patient the retracting pressure on the handie or knobs I is relieved,'and the spring l-I to open the normally-closed gas-inlet, and the. 1 valve automatically operated by a spring 4to close the gas-inlet and -openthe air-inlet as soon asy the pressure of the hand upon the handle is relieved, andthis irrespective of andwithout 'any pressure of the apparatus Y upon` the face-ofthe patient to attain this result,which was old. Such avhandle Iv style a self-'contained handle. This pressure upon the ,face cooperate such openings or equivalent valve arrangements is objectionable,- and hence'I have devised my improvements to attainthe results of such face-pressure inhalers and avoid their disadvantages, while` retaining the automatic, Y-closing ofthe gas-inlet openingimvvher the'iinstrunent'is to be thrown out of operation or the administra-- tion is tocease by vsimply releasing thepress urev upon the handle.

It is obvious th t roy-improvements admit of manymodifications.` 'For instance, in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 .I have .shown a modification of my invention. Inl thatfexam'ple the springH isvvithin avalveftube G, which has gasfinlet openings or portsgm, which are closed intthe normah position of, the apparatus bybeing thrust'by the springH against the Wall of the closed end ofv the main casing-section B,which position opens the airfinlet open-ings bf.' I Ior-r wardLpressure upon the handle*orknobs I "i 't 5. i we@ ycarries said tubeG-orward, closing the airinlet openings 7) and openingjthe ports or gas-inlet openings g to communicate with the gas-supply through the opening or open ings 19 in the periphery of the rear end of said section B, which is fitted to extend into the spherical or 'equivalent chamber A.

In the modification which I have made, and as shown in Figs. 2, l3, and 4,. the forward pressure on the handle or knobsIopens the gas-inlet and closes the air-inlet.'

In Figi the .retraction or backward 'prow ure, by means of the handle or knobs Lopens the gas-inlet and closes the air-inlet, and in both'cases as soon as the pressureis relieved the out-flow of gas is immediately' and automatically stopped by the closing of its valve opening or openings.

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 show another construction, changed only in details, doing the same thing. The valve G is acted upon by a spring H in a similar manner to normally close the gasinlet openingand an air-inlet is' then provided by means of the opening g b or se j aration of the sections A B. The section is hinged, as at 11,450 the section A, and by `means of a handle I Vthe section B may beretracted, and through a thin or perforated -plate B open the gas-inlet valve G, and'at the same time close theairfinlet passagev by closing the sections A B together, the joint being suitably formed for the purpose. I do not claim the details of this'modication shown in Figs. 5, 6, 'and 7.l i I claim as my inventionee An inhaler having an air-inlet opcninglzl.v

gas-inlet opening, a valve to control said 85` openings, a self-contained handle to operate said valve, and a spring to normally'close saidV gas-inlet and opensaid air-inlet, substantiallyas described.

AIn testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two Witnesses. z f' ELIT. STARR:

Witnesses: r

JAS. J .'WILLIAMS,

Roer. E. GORDON: 

